Battledress

BattledressFrom the early 1930s, the British War Office began research on a replacement for the Service Dress that had been a combined field and dress uniform since the early 1900s. Initially conducted on a small scale over several years, some of the ideas tested included deerstalker hats and safari jackets. After extensive field trials of other uniforms, Battledress, Serge (often referred to as 1937 Pattern, albeit wrongly) was adopted just before the Second World War. The uniform was designed with the needs of mechanized infantry in mind, and was inspired by contemporary wool ‘ski suits’ that were less restrictive to the wearer, used less material, were warm even while wet and were more suited to vehicular movement than Service Dress.

Attempting to create a more standardized uniform across much of the British military, it was composed of a fairly streamlined short jacket of wool serge that buttoned to the outside of high-waisted wool serge trousers. The jacket (or blouse) was copied by the U.S Army and was christened the Ike jacket. The sleeves of the British blouse had a forward curve built into them so that they were more comfortable to wear prone shouldering a rifle, or seated holding a steering wheel for instance, although they tended to show multiple wrinkles near the inside of the elbow when the soldier's arms were held straight at the sides. On the trousers, there was a large map pocket on the front near the left knee and a special pocket for a field dressing near the right front pocket (on the upper hip). The mixed green and brown fibers of the British battledress fabric matched the colours of heath and forests of the United Kingdom fairly well without having to be a single muddy olive green colour like American uniforms. One problem often developed, the gap between the jacket and trousers would open up in extreme movement and buttons popped, so braces were issued, in some cases a sweater was worn. A woolen shirt was typically worn under the wool blouse, wearing an open collar blouse (with tie) was initially restricted to officers, other ranks buttoning the top button of the blouse and closing the collar with a double hook-and-eye arrangement. Short canvas anklets (gaiters) or puttees typically covered the gap between the trousers and the ankle boots, further adding to the streamlined look and keeping dirt out of the boots without having to use a taller, more expensive leather boot.

Battledress was issued widely beginning in 1939 in the British Army (as well as the Canadian Army, who produced their own, almost identical, copy of Battledress after the outbreak of war), though shortages meant that some units of the British Expeditionary Force went to France in Service Dress.

Pattern 37 Blouse

Pattern 37 Trousers

1940 Pattern Battledress was introduced in 1942; it deleted the fly front, and the front buttons, as well as the pocket buttons, were now exposed. Pocket pleats to the blouse were removed, as were box pleats to cuffs and there was usually only one inside pocket. Plastic buttons were introduced, rather than the brass dished buttons of Battledress, Serge.

Officers were permitted to tailor the collar of their blouses so as to wear a collared shirt and tie.

Pattern 40 Blouse

Pattern 40 Trousers

Battle Dress, Olive Drab, War Aid was made in the U.S.A. for the British Army and was widely seen in the Mediterranean theatre. Note the American use of 'Battle Dress' as two words. The blouse featured exposed buttons on the outer pockets, which also bore no box pleats. The fly front of Battledress, Serge was retained. Cuff bottons were exposed, and there were two inside pockets. A small, internal hanger loop was introduced to the collar. The collar was closed by double hook-and-eye arrangement. Tailoring was of good quality and the wool blend tended to be finer than British-made blouses. Type-specific plastic buttons were inroduced.

Canadian Battledress never had a 1940-type pattern introduced, though the collar closure did change from a set of hooks and eyes to a flap and button in about 1943. The Canadian version was also a much greener shade of khaki than the standard British version. It was greenish with some brown, rather than brownish with some green. Buttons were green painted steel, with a central bar across the middle for the thread to hold in place.

New Zealand Battledress was almost identical to British Battledress, Serge but the wool tended to be much darker brown, while the stitching was a contrasting light colour. The NZ blouse had a six button fly front, rather than the British five.

Australian Battledress blouses were almost identical to British Battledress, Serge. The trousers were closer to British 1940 Pattern. Both tended to be a much greener colour than British BD. Australians didn't wear BD, but their own verson of Service Dress, meaning their BD was for export to other Commonwealth nations, such as the British. Buttons were in sheradised steel or plastic resin.